Vending machine



S. M. CAMPBELL VENDING MACHINE Oct. 31, 1933.

Filed Dec 21, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY S. M. CAMPBELL VENDING MACHINE Oct. 31, 1933.

Filed Dec. 21, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 31, 1933 VENDING MACHINE Samuel M. Campbell, Rock Island,Ill.

Application December 21, 1931 SerialNo. 582,343

' 4 Claims. (01. 194-58) My invention relates to improvementsin vend--ing machines.

The objects of my invention are to providean eflicient, coin operatedvending machine for small packages, of superior simplicity which can beoperated without utilizing springs.

I attain these objects by the. means illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which,-

Figure l is a plan view of my apparatus;

Figure 2 is a front elevation foreshortened;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional detail on the line 3-3 of Figure 6;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional detail on therline 44 of Figure 6;

Figure 5 is a plan. view showing an alternate form of slide;.

Figure 6 is a bottom view with the bottom plate removed and showing apart of the top plate of the base broken away.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My apparatus comprises a hollow base, 1, which may be of any desiredform, having a bottom plate, 2, securedthereto by suitable lockingmeans. The base is provided with a top plate, 3, which may be united tothe base by set screws, 3a, or may be cast integral therewith.

In the drawings I have shown the bottom plate provided with a shoulder,22), which fits into a groove, formed in the lower portion of thehousing and thus secures one end of the bottom plate in place.

A look, 2a, is united to the other end of the bottom plate, and the.bolt of the lock is adapted to engage a slot or groove, 1a,'formed inthe opposite end of the housing to lock the bottom plate in position.The lock may be operated by a key in the ordinary way or by such othermeans as may be desired, and various methods of securing the bottomplate may be provided or.

other equivalent forms may be utilized for providing an opening into thecoin reservoir which is formed by the interior of the base housing, 1.

Upon the top plate of the base housing I secure aslide housing, 5, forthe delivery slide. This slide housing may be formed integralwith thetop plate of thebase or maybe secured thereto by set screws, 5a, orother suitable means.

Upon the slide housing I mount the package container or body, 6,whichmay be secured to the slide housing by the set screw, 6a, or othersuitable means. The interior --of the body may be so shaped as toconform to the various kinds of packages which it is desired tovend. Inthe drawings I have shown two cylindrical bores,- 10,

extending vertically of the body, 6, which are adapted to containsmallround tin cans or other fiat,,round receptacles for tablets suchasaspirin, bicarbonate of soda, etc., which it may be desirable to vend insmall packages, andI have shown the delivery slide, 14, provided. withtwo circular seats, 15 and 15a,each of which is adapted to receive anddeliver one of the small round cans. v

The delivery slide comprises a rectangular bar, 14, provided with horns,14a, at the ends, thereof to assist in manipulating it manually. Theseats, 15 and 15a, are cut in the bar asdescribed and. theintermediateportion of the bar forms. a seat upon which the cans ineither bore may rest when said-portion is in alinement there- .with, itbeing intended to deliver the merchandise from this machine fromopposite ends of the slide, .14. l

Notches, 20, are cut in the lower face of the bar, 14. A locking lever,23, is=mounted upon a pivot, 21, secured'in bosses, 25, extendingdownwardly from and formed integral with the top plate, 3, of thebase, 1. i

The forward end of the lever, 23, has an upwardly projectingdog, 19,formedintegralatherewith which is adapted to enter either one of thenotches, 20, and lock the slide. The rear end of the lever, 23,,has anupwardly projecting lug,

'22, formed thereon which may contact withthe would permit a penny orany coin smaller than a I nickel to pass through between them and dropinto the reservoir without actuating the lever, 23. These fingers arepositioned directly below the lower end of a coin slot; 12, which isunitedto the" front of the body by a set screw, 121:, or other suitablemeans and which is provided with acoin opening; 13, in whi h the coinsmay be inserted. When a coin of the right size isinserted in themachine, it will drop down the slide until it rests upon the upper endsof the fingers, 18. The lever, 23, is so balanced that the rear endthereof will normally be carried downwardly and the dog, 19, will seatin one of the notches, 20,-and lock the slide against movement.

When a coin of the correct denomination is placed in the machine, thecoin as it rests upon the fingers, 18, will be of sufficient height tobear upwardly against the top of the housing, 15, and downwardly againstthe fingers, 18, as the slide, 14, carries the coin to one side and thecoin will then force the front end of the lever, 23, downwardly, therebydisengaging the lug, 19, from the notch, 20, and permitting the slide tobe pushed in one direction or the other as the case may be, thuscarrying one of the packages to be vended, beyond the slide housingwhere it can be picked up by the purchaser from the seat, 15 or 15a. Inorder to permit the slide to move sufficiently to cause the coin todepress the unweighted end of the lever, 23, the notches, 20, areelongated as shown in Figure 5.

The slide, 14, has its front face provided'with two slots, 17 and 17a,and the portion, 14b, of the slide intermediate the slots, 17 and 1711,being in line with the coin as it rests upon the fin ers, 1.8, will:carry the coin to one side or the other of the center. Anextended slot,170, is formed in the top plate, 3, which registers with the slot in the:coin slide, 12, and extends a suflicient distance beyond the fingers,18, in either direction so that the coins whencarried by theintermediate portion, 15b, beyond the fingers, 18, can drop down wardlyinto the reservoir formed by the base.

The body, :6, has suitably secured to the top thereof, atop aplate,7,with a cover plate, 8,'hinged thereto at a'hinge, 9. The top plate, 7,has a hasp, "la, extending upwardly through a :suitable slot in .thecover plate, 8, and'may be locked by a padlock, .11.

.A bracket, 16, is united 'to the top plate, 7, by whichthe-apparatusmaybe bolted to a suitable support so as to secure same ,in upright:position.

In the operation of my device, the slide is pushed to either side. Thepackage reservoirs .are then :loaded, and in loading them one of theboxes will drop into the seat in'the delivery slide which happensto bein alinement with one of :the bores.

.Themac'hine .being secured in upright position with the slide, 14, atits limit of travel in one direction, a coin of the requireddenomination is :dropped intothe coin slide, 12, and lights upon thefingers, 18, the weight, 24, upon the weighted end of the lever beingsufiicient'to counterbalance the weight of the .coin and retainthelever, 23, in locked position. As the-slide, '14, is pushed mantuallyin the opposite direction, the coin bears upwardly against the top ofthe housing, :5, and downwardly against the arms, 18, of the lever, 23,thus forcing the front end of the lever, 23, .down and releasing thedetent, 19, from the notch, '20. As the slide, 14', is then pushedmanually transversely of the machinethe charged seat carries the cantherein out Where it may bereached by the purchaser. At the same time,the other seat'is carried under its respective bore and one ofthe cansdrops into it from that bore. in the slide, 14,is pushed out for thedelivery of the can contained therein, the-intermediate portion, 141),carries the coin along with the slide and a: and rear plates of thebody, 6, which permit an base, a housing mounted upon the base, a bodyhaving a;plurality of vertical bores formed therein mounted upon thehousing, a slide seated in the-housing and slidable therein, seatsformed in the slide corresponding to the bores and adapted to berespectively aligned in alternation with their corresponding bores, apair of notches formed in the lower face of the slide, a coin tubeunited to the body, a lever pivoted in the base having a detent at oneend adapted to enter either of the notches in the slide, and a weight atthe opposite end, such lever being tiltable in one direction by downwardpressure of the coin resting on one end thereof when moved to one sideof the middle and in the opposite direction by the weight secured to theopposite end thereof when freed of the coin and means adapted to causethe coin to exert a downward pressure upon the unweighted end of thelever as the slide is moved along its-seat in the housing.

2. A vending machine comprising a hollow'base, a housing mountedupon-the base, a body having a 110 plurality of vertical bores formedtherein mounted upon 'thehousing, a slide seated in the housin andslidable therein, seats formed in the slide corresponding to the bores'andadap'ted to be respectively aligned in alternation with theircorrei135 sponding bores, a pair of notches formed in :the

.lower face of the slide, 'a coin tube united to the body, a leverpivoted in the base having a detent at one end adapted to enter eitherof the notches in the slide, a weight at the opposite end, such 2130lever being tiltable in one direction by the pressure of the coinagainst the top of the housing and the lever when resting on one endthereof when carried by the slide to either side of the center andin theopposite direction by'the'weight secured to the opposite end thereofwhen freed of the coin, and means united to the slide to remove a coinfrom the lever when the slide is movedthrough the limit of its travel.

3. In a vending machine the combination with a hollow base, of a housingmounted upon the base, a body having a plurality-of vertical boresformed therein mounted upon the housing, a slideseated in the housingand slidable therein, seats formed in the slide corresponding to thebores and adapted to be respectively aligned in alternation with theircorresponding bores, a pair of elongated notches formed in the lowerface of the slide, a coin tube united to the body, a lever pivoted inthe base having a detent at 1 40 one end adapted to enter either of thenotches in the slide, aweight at. the opposite end, such lever beingtiltable in one'direction by the downward pressure of the coin on oneend thereof and in the opposite direction by the weight secured to theopposite end thereof when freed of the coin, and means including theconjoint action of the top of the housing and the slide adapted to causethe coin to exert a downward pressure upon the unweighted end of thelever as the slide is moved along its seat in the housing.

4. A vending machine comprising a hollow base, a housing mounted uponthe base, a body having a plurality of vertical bores formed thereinmounted upon the housing, a slide seated in the housing and slidabletherein, seats formed in the slide corresponding to the bores andadapted to be respectively aligned in alternation with theircorresponding bores, a pair of notches formed in the lower face of theslide, a coin tube united to the body, a lever pivoted in the basehaving a detent at one end adapted to enter either of the notches in theslide, a weight at the opposite end, such lever being tiltable in onedirection by the pressure 01' the coin against the top of the housingand the lever when resting on one end of the lever, and in the the wholelength of the travel of the lateral slots and in alignment therewith.

SAMUEL M. CAMPBELL.

